Force Management

Don’t miss these upcoming Force Management Webinars: Your SKO: Common Mistakes You Can’t Afford to MakePlanning a hashtag is a big undertaking. Even more difficult is executing an event that focuses on execution. Force Management’s Tim Caito joins Rachel Clapp Miller for a discussion on how to get beyond the “event” of the SKO and make it a driver of your revenue goals. Sign up here: https://hubs.li/Q02PdLJ10 Building Consensus with MetricsIf you’re struggling with how to talk metrics with your customer, this webinar is for you. If you’re a manager and your teams aren’t really grasping this skill, make sure to share it with them. We’ll dig into how you should be approaching these conversations with key buyer personas. Sign up here: https://hubs.la/Q02PG1Cf0If you can’t make it, register anyway! We’ll send you the recording. 

There is an abundance of tools and processes available to reps today, but it is incumbent on each seller to incorporate them into a cohesive strategy. In this episode, John Kaplan explains how to successfully pull these tools into a swift selling motion. Topics under discussion include:Selling with an outside-in approach.The three buckets of information to fill during discovery.A golf takeaway and downswing analogy.Fitting the selling motion into a sales process.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Ascender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleThe Single Selling Motion | Ascender ArticleDifferentiation in the Sales Process | Ascender VideoEarning the Right | Ascender VideoVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascend

On Ascender’s Engage page, we receive tons of questions from sales professionals throughout the country, many of whom face similar challenges. We have compiled a few of the most common questions to answer in today’s episode. They are:How do I handle a customer that is reluctant to proceed to the next steps?How can I open up customers who are close to the vest with positive business outcomes and metrics?How can I overcome a gatekeeper trying to prevent me from multithreading?Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Executing Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleAscender Community Clip About AuthenticityWhen Customers Go Dark | PodcastOwn the Next Step in Your Sales Meetings | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Ch

In today’s quick episode, John Kaplan gives encouragement to sellers who may find themselves down on their luck. He discusses the tried-and-true actions within every seller’s control that will set you back on track, including:Assessing and attaching to the customer’s business issues (the what).Taking into account whom you are connected with in the deal (the who).Qualifying the deal early on and throughout the sales process.Staying on top of the foundational skills.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseNegotiation Foundation & Mindset | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleClose the Excuse Department | Ascender VideoDo You Really Have a Champion? | PodcastEnabling the Internal Sell | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help

Get back to the basic sales fundamentals that help ensure great sales conversations. John Kaplan provides five things you can practice before you jump into that next prospect call. Here are some additional resources:Purpose Process Payoff [Article]https://bit.ly/3spMjgAImprove Your Active Listening Skills [Podcast]https://apple.co/3md3HUOMaximize the Effectiveness of Proof Points [Podcast]https://apple.co/2XAxEE5Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Though we often speak about the need to sell based on value, keeping the customer focused on value throughout the sales process is a challenging, elite skill. Joining Rachel in today’s episode to share his deep insights on this important topic is Force Management facilitator John Boney. He discusses:The buyer-focused mindset necessary to successfully sell on value.The relevance of the customer’s Decision Criteria to how you build your value proposition.Handling changes in the customer’s priorities.Multithreading effectively in an opportunity.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Navigating the Political Landscape | Ascender CourseOvercoming Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender VideoPreparing for Sales Conversations | Ascender VideoHow to Uncover Buyer Needs | PodcastCompeting With Other Priorities | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every d

We’ve all worked for someone who we didn’t think was that great as a manager. How do you, a seller, handle the scenario in which you’re working for a bad manager but aren’t quite ready to leave? John Kaplan shares some advice on how to improve your work experience when in such a situation and what to look for in your next company.Here are some additional resourcesHow to Ensure You're Selling For A Great CompanySigns You're Working for a Company That's Staged for GrowthCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Today, Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins Rachel for a conversation on the uncertainties reps often face in trying to discuss metrics with prospects. Pouli’s advice provides clarity on when and how to discuss the finer details of the deal with the customer. He talks about:Getting past the fear of disrupting the flow of a conversation.Remaining curious throughout a sales cycle.Coaching reps to embrace the uncomfortable conversations.Viewing different individuals in the prospect company as rungs of a ladder.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Negotiation Foundation & Mindset | Ascender CourseManaging Challenging Negotiation Tactics | Ascender CourseKey Questions to Ask in Your Sales Discovery Conversations | Ascender ArticleAsking the Tough Questions in Your Sales Conversations | Ascender VideoVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with ins

As we move into Q3, some of you may find yourselves struggling to get deals over the line. In today’s episode, John Kaplan gets you refocused on the fundamentals in order to reopen closed doors and get deals moving. He discusses:Getting the buyer to understand how your solution increases revenue, decreases cost and mitigates risk.Connecting technical pain to business pain to create urgency.The importance of multi-threading.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Achieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseHesitant Buyers? Aligning Your Solution to Corporate Initiatives | Ascender ArticleMoving Buyers to Action | Ascender ArticleThe Coat of Pain | Ascender VideoPodcast: How to Engage Other Departments in Your Sales Process | PodcastGetting Different Departments to Agree | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you

Do you have customers delaying their signature? Do you have deals that are moving forward, but then stall right before the finish line? Force Management’s Tim Caito walks through action steps to reignite the stalled deal, including: What areas to assess to determine how you can reignite the dealThe people you should be using to help you drive urgencyHow to prevent the situation next quarter. Other Assets with Tim CaitoMaking QBRs Valuable | PodcastAnchors and Give-Gets | PodcastThe Right Mindset for Sales Negotiations | PodcastShifting the Negotiation Away From Price | PodcastNegotiating Value – Presenting Multiple Options | PodcastHow to Use “Most Likely Alternatives” to Improve Sales Execution | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/Subscribe her

Though we have many tools and strategies to help us qualify deals, sometimes the simple questions are enough to steer us in the right direction. Today, John Kaplan covers three key questions to ask yourself in every deal. They are:“Do we belong in the deal?”“What are our strong and weak points in the deal?”“What are the necessary steps to move the deal forward more efficiently?”Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Watch: MEDDICC Maturity ModelProspecting Certification | Ascender Course SeriesKey Questions to Ask in Your Sales Discovery Conversations | Ascender ArticleThe Sales Conversations You Need for Great Qualification | Ascender ArticleAscender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleUsing MEDDICC When Your Company Doesn’t | Ascender VideoAsking the Tough Questions in the Sales Process | Ascender VideoBuilding Your Pipeline | Ascender VideoBuilding a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own

Understanding the needs of the buyer is the critical component of any sales process, and successfully doing so encompasses a wide spectrum of sales best practices. Joining us to shed light on this topic is Force Management Facilitator John Boney. In his first appearance on the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, John hammers home the strategies necessary to get to the root of a customer’s pain. He discusses:The importance of active listening.Identifying patterns while refraining from assumption-making.Conducting a thorough needs assessment during a customer conversation.Dealing with a buyer’s resistance to questioning.The need for quantifiable metrics.The WAIT acronym: “Why Am I Talking?”Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Selling to the CPO (Chief People Officer) | Ascender Insights EventAttaching to the Biggest Business Problem | Ascender Insights EventSelling to the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) | Ascender Insights EventActive Listening | Ascender CourseExecuting Your

Every buyer has a unique personality, which requires a nuanced approach to every sales conversation. Today, Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins us to highlight the value of discerning different buyer personas and adapting the way you sell accordingly. He discusses:How a familiarity with different types of buyer personalities helps sales professionals.Common patterns in buyer personalities.How DISC assessments can be beneficial to reps.Adapting to the buyer’s personality during conversation.The specific motivations of different personality types.Check out Pouli’s book, How to Be a Well Being: Unofficial Rules to Live Every Day.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseNavigating the Political Landscape | Ascender CourseBuilding Rapport Through Virtual Channels | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Discovery | Ascender ArticleSelling in a New Category | PodcastFinding Your Motivation as a Seller | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform design

In today’s quick discussion, John Kaplan sheds light on a challenging decision for many reps: walking away from a deal. As ever, John shares the no-nonsense approach to sales qualification that has brought value to so many. This episode’s talking points include:The importance of voracious qualification.Signs that you should consider leaving an account.Common gaps in deals that require sellers to take action.Generating a significant enough pipeline to prevent the need to cling to a lost cause.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Prospecting Certification | Ascender Course SeriesImprove Sales Qualification: Know When to Walk Away | Ascender ArticleThe Sales Conversations You Need for Great Qualification | Ascender ArticleAscender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleBuilding a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | PodcastBeing Confident in Your Selling Process | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audi

Finding a true Champion remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks for sales reps, as evidenced by the number of requests we continue to receive on the topic. Today’s special guest, Force Management facilitator Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos, has observed a great deal over the years about how sellers typically go about pursuing Champions, and he would like to share his insights with you. In this episode, Pouli clarifies a number of misconceptions commonly held by reps related to Champions, and he offers advice to help set you on the right track. Points of discussion include:Why reps often think they have a Champion when they do not.Indicators that you have a true Champion, and questions to help you determine whether someone is a Champion.How to move forward in your relationships with those you have come to realize are not truly Champions.The concept of “Champions Amnesty.”Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Building Champions for Life | Ascender CourseValidating Champions | Ascende

A comprehensive knowledge of sales fundamentals means nothing if you fail to apply it consistently. Today, John Kaplan discusses five areas that demand consistent application of reps looking to be elite. They are:Pipeline generation.Building relationships.Discovery.Qualification.Avoiding excuses.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!John’s LinkedIn Post About Commitment and ConsistencyBuilding Rapport Through Virtual Channels | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Discovery | Ascender ArticleThe Sales Conversations You Need for Great Qualification | Ascender ArticleMerchants of Change: The Excuse Department is Closed | Ascender VideoBuilding a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Check

If you’re trying to exceed your quota this year, you need to make sure you’re spending as much time as possible on high-value sales activities. Elite salespeople execute in a way that helps them efficiently qualify and advance deals. In this episode, Antonella O’Day runs through three key ways you can save time as a rep. Visit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content of a similar nature every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/Subscribe here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparisonCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

How do you approach an account into which competitors are already firmly ingrained? How do you break a continuous cycle of rejection in favor of your competition? John Kaplan tackles these ever-pertinent questions in this episode. Today’s talking points include:John’s personal experience in surmounting competitors embedded in deals.Why ingrained competition is not a deal-killer.Approaching the buyer with an honest and patient discovery process.Offering the customer a strategic discount.Building Champions in a competitive account to give you the edge.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Navigating the Competitive Landscape | Ascender CourseExpand Your Understanding of the Competition | Ascender CourseBuilding Champions for Life | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Discovery | Ascender ArticlePlan to Make the Plan | PodcastPlan to Make the Plan |  ArticleVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

Regardless of the length of your implementation window in an opportunity, you must show your value. Brian Walsh joins us today for a quick discussion about how to successfully demonstrate value. He discusses:Developing a roadmap with short-term metrics.Helping the customer to see the business-wide benefits of your solution.Setting expectations that are high but realistic.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!The Currency of Value | Ascender ArticleArticulating Value and Differentiation After the Sale | PodcastProviding Value in Discovery | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/Subscribe here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparisonCheck out this and other episodes of the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast on Apple Pod

Join Force Management's Ascender team for our webinar THIS FRIDAY as we cover "Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Articulate Value". Hosted by Diana Sheley, Force Management's Director, Facilitation & Consulting, we'll cover common challenges and ways to course correct when it comes to: Understanding and Articulating DifferentiationHow to Stack Rank the Required CapabilitiesKeeping the Focus on ValueAligning your Proof Points to Your BuyerThe session will be recorded. Click Here to Register